UN elects former Iraqi President to lead UN refugee agency

The United Nations General Assembly has elected Barham Salih, a former Iraqi president who fled persecution under Saddam Hussein, as the next UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Salih was elected without a vote by the 193-member assembly after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nominated him to succeed Italy’s Filippo Grandi, who has led the agency since 2016.

Salih will begin a five-year term on January 1, 2026.

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